Coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his opinion on the referee's decision in the match against Singapore.
Speaking after the first leg of the semi-final, coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his opinion on the referee's decision that caused a stir in public opinion.
The Vietnamese team won 2-0 in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup semi-final against Singapore.
After the match, coach Kim Sang-sik shared: "The Vietnamese team has not adapted to both the weather and the grass on the field. The whole team really struggled in the first half. In the second half, with some adjustments in personnel and tactics, we played better, especially in the final moments of the match.
Thanks to the players' efforts and concentration until the end, the Vietnam Teamwon. But even though we won 2-0 away, we still have to be careful when preparing for the return leg at home."

Regarding the referee's decisions in this match, coach Kim Sang Sik refused to comment: "I am not the one who has the right to make judgments, so there is not much to say about the referee.
I'm sorry about Nguyen Xuan Son's disallowed goal, but I think we need to respect the referee's decision. Even though the referee's decisions were not as expected, the players still kept their determination to the end to get the best results."
The Korean strategist refused to mention the situation where the referee did not award Singapore a penalty after the collision with Tan Tai in the 80th minute: "I always accept and respect the referee's decisions. The two teams gave their best, that was the aspect of the match.

Both teams had difficulties in this match. Now the Vietnamese team is preparing for the return match at home. No matter what problems there are, I will prepare carefully, the players will try not to be careless in the rematch at Viet Tri stadium."
"In this match, the Vietnamese team did not concede any goals. Therefore, I am satisfied with the defense. Singapore is very strong in counter-attacking and playing long balls, we will try to stop the opponent, preparing for the next matches.
Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu has been improving his form and making no mistakes. Despite making a mistake in the first match, I think he played well today," coach Kim Sang Sik praised goalkeeper Dinh Trieu for his miraculous save against the Singaporean striker in the second half.

Captain Do Duy Manh also attended the press conference after the match and he shared: "Today we followed the tactics. The Vietnamese team played resiliently, there were times when we encountered many difficulties but the whole team knew how to overcome them. For me, this is a worthy victory for the Vietnamese team. Regarding the situation in the 80th minute, I told the referee to stay calm with his decision, check the VAR technology and make a fair choice."

Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team have many advantages before the second leg of the semi-final on December 29 at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho)./.